A Voice From the Past
by Rhiannon McHugh
Summary: The story of Garnet/Dagger's final moments in Madain Sari from her POV... R&R!


A Voice From the Past

Disclaimer: I think the fact that I don't own Final Fantasy has been drilled in everyone's head, but, just for old time's sake... I don't own Final Fantasy! Squaresoft does! *Pout* Anyways, R&R, 'kay? 

A Voice From the Past 

_  
If I should leave this lonely world behind  
  
Your voice will still remember our melody.  
  
Now I know we'll carry on.  
  
Melodies of Life- Come circle round and grow deep in our hearts...  
  
As long as we remember...  
_

I listened close as mother sang, her sweet, soft voice echoing in my mind. Today was one of her sad days, and I knew why. Daddy was dead, and today was the one year anniversary of his death. 

I gave a little sigh and cuddled closer to her as we sat by the ocean's shore, watching the waves crash gently against the cliffs and sand. The ocean seemed to mimic my own sigh, exhaling silently and sending a faint breeze forth to fan out our hair, the dark strands entwining about one another. The evening was so calm, so peaceful, even though the sky seemed to blaze with fire. The setting sun's fiery rays reflected on the snowy clouds and the ocean mirrored the sky's fire, the salty waters seeming to turn to liquid gold. 

I continued to listen to my mother's song, loving the way the cliffs around us captured and hung onto her words, singing them even after they had already been sung. I could never describe why, but the song always comforted me, chasing away my sorrows and fears. The first time I had ever heard it was only two days after my daddy's death. Mother was singing it to herself as she sat alone by the Eidolon wall, praying. I remember the wave of comfort and relief I felt as I stood just out of her field of vision, listening to the words and the tune. Only when she was finished did I reveal myself, not wanting to do anything that might cause her to stop singing, and I asked her if the song comforted her as well. 

She wasn't at all upset that I had overheard her song like I was afraid she would be. Some people are just very private about that sort of thing and will get angry with you for listening in on something that wasn't intended to be heard, thinking they were alone when they really were not. But mommy wasn't like that at all. In fact, she looked relieved that I had heard, as though she had been waiting for someone to share it with. 

"The day your father died, I felt so alone, like I was the only person in the world to ever feel so torn apart. But then, I remembered a song my own mother used to sing to me whenever I was sad, and it always managed to bring peace to my heart," She had smiled at me, wiping my own salty tears away with her gentle fingers. "And it still does. It must be a mystical song, or maybe just a simple reminder that I'm really not alone. But whatever it is, it is now our song. Just as my mother shared it with me, now I can share it with you." 

And she did. And she was. 

We were connected in this way, connected by a simple tune, a simple melody. But it was a melody no one but we could understand. It was our secret, our mystical song, and that was part of the reason why it was so hard to stay in a somber mood when even thinking about it. It really did remind us that we were not alone, for we were the only ones that knew it, and we would always be there for one another... 

I raised my head as my mother finished the song, meeting her serene gaze, the tears on her cheeks long dry, the only evidence of the sorrow she had felt being the saltine stains on her rosy features. "We better go inside now, little one," She said, looking to the sky which had turned from a golden hue to a bloody crimson, lined with clouds that were ever darkening. "It looks like there might be a storm..." 

She stood up, brushing sand from her slender legs, and held out a hand to me, which I took as she led me back to the village. Behind us, the waves had begun to grow larger and the wind had begun to gain momentum, building up with an unnatural speed... 

Once inside the village, we were greeted abruptly by fellow villagers who had also noticed the rapidly changing weather. Concerned mothers were gathering their children, dragging them into their houses as busy men worked quickly to build reinforcements for their little homes. Through the drone of urgent voices I was able to pick out one word that had been mentioned more than once: Hurricane. 

Outside the village, the sky had darkened as night blanketed the land, the enveloping storm clouds blocking out any light that might have been cast from the moons and stars. The wind had picked up, blowing dust and small debris throughout the village. I closed my eyes to protect them from the blowing sand until we got into our house, my mother pushing the door closed behind us. I could hear the ocean's waves beating against the walls of the village, roaring like some hideous monster, and I looked to my mother questioningly. 

"What's happening?" I asked, trying to keep the note of fear from my voice. Never in my life had I seen something like this. Never had I seen a perfect day turn into a raging beast within seconds. 

"They think it's a hurricane..." She replied, and I heard her voice quiver a little. "They're very dangerous storms, but I'm sure Madain Sari will hold up. It's survived worse than this." 

"Is there anything we can do?" 

She shook her head. "Nothing. All there is to do is lay low and wait it out. That's all..." 

And that was what we did. That was all we could do. Wait it out. 

We lay on the floor as the wind shrieked through the night, lightning illuminating the darkness and thunder helping the wind shake the earth. I could feel the strong walls of our home shaking, delicate pottery falling from shelves to clatter onto the floor. It felt like hours had gone by when it had only been seconds. It felt like if the storm lasted any longer, our house would simply crumble around us. 

But this was only the beginning. This was only the opening act for what was to come. 

Cries soon began to ring throughout the village, the terrified sounds rising above the sounds of the violent weather. Though most of the voices were incomprehensible, I could make out a few of the words that were said, and among them, the one that most frequently came up was "Demon!". 

I felt my mother stiffen, her hold on my hand tightening. I whimpered, but not in the pain her grip caused. "Shh... It's going to be alright. Just hold on." 

As if on cue, the roof collapsed around us, just missing our huddled bodies, and the rain poured in. 

I cried out in alarm but my mother, instead of being paralyzed with fear like I was, reacted quickly. Grabbing my arm, she tugged me to my feet and dragged me outside and into the pounding rain just before what was left off the roof crumbled, the walls following after. 

The rain drenched out bodies within seconds, our clothes clinging to our bodies like a second skin. But I had no time to dwell on the discomfort I felt, for the eerie crimson glow that everything seemed to be bathed in captured my attention--and my breath. 

A red eye was glaring down upon the village from the swirling black clouds above, lightning dancing about that bloody orb. The wind continued to build up, and I clung to my mother's arm to keep from being blown away as she pressed her own body against the walls of one of the few buildings that was still standing... Until a fork of lightning struck a neighboring structure, igniting it. The wind caused the flames to leap and dance from building to building, destroying the undestroyed and demolishing the destroyed, seemingly unaffected by the rain. 

"We'll die if we stay here!" I heard one man cry after attempting to summon an Eidolon, only to discover that he couldn't. His face was haggard, wet with rain and his own blood, and maybe even his own tears. He must have seen us, huddled together pathetically, for he approached us, fighting against the wind, to take my mother by the hand and pull her to her feet. "Come on! We can't stay here! Follow me." 

He half led us, half dragged us to the docks, where the ocean met the cliffs and caverns of Madain Sari. Tied to strong posts in the ground were a few small boats, some of which already contained people. "Get in," He ordered us, pushing us toward one of the boats. My mother looked to him uncertainly, and then looked out to the ocean, staring at the churning, oily black waves that seemed to meet and blend with the sky. 

"We can't go out there... The boat won't hold up, not against those waves..." She said softly, or maybe her voice just sounded soft compared to the howling wind. "It will capsize the second we sail out. We can't go out there..." 

"But at least you'd have a chance out there. If you stay here, you'll both be either burned, crushed, or who knows what else," He warned. "That's a demon up there, and it's eye is on our village. It's not watching the ocean." 

My mother took a deep breath, nodding. "Alright," She said, stepping carefully into the boat, which lurched forward as if in protest, nearly tossing her out. But she was quick and regained her balance. Crouching down in the boat, she reached out to me, smiling reassuringly. "Come on, little one. This is the only way. Once we get out of here, we'll be safe..." 

I took her hand without a moment's hesitation. I trusted her, and if she said we would be safe, we would. 

"Here, you may need these. It's not much, I know, but maybe it can help," The man said, handing us two leather cloaks, which we put on quickly. "Good luck." 

"You're not coming?" My mother asked, taken aback when he shook his head. "No? But, why?" 

He sighed. "I have to stay here. My... My children were killed here, and... I can't leave," He said, sighing again. "Be careful, you two." 

The demon's eye may not have been on the ocean, but it might as well have been. The waves pitched our tiny boat about the instant we set sail, the wind and water tearing the sail as easily as a cruel child might tear a butterfly's wing. Our cloaks clung to our soaked bodies, torn and of little use, and salt water stung our eyes and any cuts that we received as we were jerked about. 

I held on tight to the sides of the boat as my mother worked to steer it as best as she could, struggling to keep the boat under her control and not the ocean's, but before long the rudder had snapped, and all there was to do was hold on and pray that the boat would not shatter beneath us as well. 

The violent rocking motion made me nauseous, but I had no time to truly feel it. I just held onto my mother as rain mixed with sea water and lightning illuminated our terrified faces, the boat creaking and groaning. I glimpsed Madain Sari in the distance but hardly recognized it. In fact, I couldn't recognize it. What had once been a beautiful village was now but flame and ash... 

My mother held onto me tightly, stroking my hair to comfort me, and I could hear her beautiful voice singing softly in my ear the song that only we knew. Our song, our mystical song. I buried my face in her shoulder, closing my eyes, and for that brief minute, I was away from this nightmare. For one brief moment all that existed was her voice, our song, comforting me, telling me that everything would be alright. We would be okay, we would make it. Tentatively, I joined in, my own high, tiny voice mixing with hers. It didn't matter that I was off key, not to her or me. All that mattered was that we were together, just like we had always been. Just like we would always be. 

I don't know how I managed to drift off to sleep at a time like that, but I did. Maybe it was exhaustion, or maybe it was just contentment. Whatever it was, when I opened my eyes, it was daylight. I lay sprawled in the sand, having been thrown from the boat when it struck land, and my head ached terribly when I so much as blinked an eye. Through my hazy vision, I could see figures gathered around me, their shadowy bodies highlighted by the sun. I felt myself being picked up, and I did not resist. I was too tired to move, too tired to resist. 

From the corner of my eye I could see a boat, shattered and splintered, a young woman pinned beneath it, still and motionless. I didn't recognize her, but then again, I couldn't see all of her. I didn't _want_ to see all of her... 

I relaxed in the arms that craddled me, closing my eyes against the sunlight. I was so tired, and I couldn't even remember why. It didn't occur to me then that I couldn't remember _anything_, but for some reason I was able to open my mouth and ask who the woman was. The sound of my own voice surprised me. I couldn't recognize my own voice... 

"She tried to kidnap you, child," The person that held me answered, an older man by the tone of his voice. "But you're safe now. I would never let anyone hurt my little daughter." 

I tensed, but it was not in fear. Daughter? Then, this man must be my father. But... Why does that sound so unreal, so false? Why does his voice sound so unfamiliar? 

Then I remembered how strange my own voice sounded to me. If I couldn't remember my own voice, how could I expect to remember others? Simple. I couldn't. 

I let myself relax, convincing myself that this strange feeling would pass, and let myself drift swiftly off to sleep. In my dreams I heard a song and a sweet voice, a voice that sounded so familiar but so distant. And then I realized that that voice was my own. 

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